Engineering Commons^™

Highway Expenditures And Associated Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study, Alexander Paz-Cruz, H De La Fuente-Mella, A Singh, R Conover, H Monteiro

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This study analyzes the satisfaction of the Nevadans with respect to their highway transportation system and the corresponding expenditures of Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). A survey questionnaire was designed to capture the opinions of the Nevadans (customers) about a number of characteristics of their transportation system. Data from the financial data warehouse of the NDOT was used to evaluate expenditures. Multinomial probit models were estimated to study the correlations between customers' opinion and the government expenditures in transportation. The results indicate the customer satisfaction is decreasing with respect to traffic safety throughout Northwestern and Southern Nevada highways. In addition, …

Closing A Synthetic Carbon Cycle: Carbon Dioxide Conversion To Carbon Monoxide For Liquid Fuels Synthesis, Yolanda Andreina Daza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CO₂ global emissions exceed 30 Giga tonnes (Gt) per year, and the high atmospheric concentrations are detrimental to the environment. In spite of efforts to decrease emissions by sequestration (carbon capture and storage) and repurposing (use in fine chemicals synthesis and oil extraction), more than 98% of CO₂ generated is released to the atmosphere. With emissions expected to increase, transforming CO₂ to chemicals of high demand could be an alternative to decrease its atmospheric concentration. Transportation fuels represent 26% of the global energy consumption, making it an ideal end product that could match the scale of CO …

Optimization And Characterization Of Integrated Microfluidic Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors And Transducers, Tao Wang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) have a large number of applications and the majority of them are in the sensor and actuator fields targeted to satisfy market needs. Recently, researchers have focused on optimizing and improving device functions, sensitivity, power consumption, etc. However, SAW actuators and sensors still cannot replace their conventional counterparts in some mechanical and biomedical areas, such as actuators for liquid pumping under microfluidic channels and sensors for real-time cell culture monitoring. The two objectives of this dissertation are to explore the potential of piezoelectric materials and surface acoustic waves for research on actuators and sensors in the …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

1. Fecal Coliforms and E. coli Levels in Surface Waters from McConnell Springs, 2011-2015, David Price, Division of Water Quality, Lexington-Fayette County Government
2. Buried Soils as an Important Control on C Storage along Human-Impacted Floodplains in Kentucky, USA, Ashley Casselberry and Gary Stinchcomb, Dept. of Geosciences & Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
3. Buried Soils are an Important Chemical Interface Controlling Mineral Weathering and Solute Gradients along River Corridors, Gary Stinchcomb, Ashley Casselberry, and Abigail Smith, Dept. of Geosciences & Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
4. Geospatial Evaluation of Sewer Gas to Indoor Air Pathways Relevant for Vapor …

Track 2: Stream Restoration, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Bankfull Open Channel Flow Model: Development and Applications for Stream Restoration Design, Charles Davis and Brian Belcher, Beaver Creek Hydrology, LLC, Lexington, KY
• Using Stream Restoration for Pollution Reduction, Wanda Lawson, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc, Louisville, KY
• KDFWR Hatchery Creek Stream and Wetlands Restoration Project - A Unique Opportunity to Maximize Trout Habitat, Create Recreational Opportunities and Provide Mitigation Credits: Planning & Design, Oakes Routt and others, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Louisville, KY
• KDFWR Hatchery Creek Stream and Wetlands Restoration Project - A Unique Opportunity to Maximize Trout Habitat, Create Recreational Opportunities and Provide Mitigation Credits: Construction …

Track 2: Environmental Impact, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Toward Rapid Detection of Phytophthora cinnamomi in Appalachian Streams, Kenton Sena and others, Dept. of Forestry, University of Kentucky
• Arsenic in Water and Risk of Cancer in Humans, Steven Lamm and others, Center for Epidemiology and Global Health, Washington, DC
• Examining the Impacts of Valley Fills in Stream Ecosystems on Amphibian and Aquatic Insect Communities in Southeastern Kentucky, John Bourne and Stephen Richter, Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD and Eastern Kentucky University
• The Wetlands Prioritization Tool, Caroline Chan, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY

Track 2: Soils, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Controlled Drainage in Western Kentucky: Mitigating Water Stress and Reducing Nutrient Loss to Surface Waters in Grain Crop Production, Ethan Snyder and Carrie Knott, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
• Comparing Simulated Soil Properties to Field Derived Values in Forested and Grassland Catena of MLRA 120, Trinity Baker and others, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
• Soil Infiltration Rates in Six Agricultural Fields of Western Kentucky, Landon Gibbs and Iin Handayani, Dept. of Agricultural Science, Murray State University
• Investigation of the Climate Modeling Factors Impacting Forecasted Streamflow for Central Kentucky, …

Track 1: Source Water Protection, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Kentucky's Source Water Protection Assistance Program, Robert Blair and James Calhoun, Watershed Management Branch, Kentucky Division of Water and Jessica Moore, U.S. EPA, Dallas Texas
• Source Water Protection Assistance Program, Trimble County Water District #1 Customer Outreach Program, Andrew Stark, Trimble County Water District #1, Bedford, KY
• Kentucky Rural Water Association and Water Utilities' Efforts in Protecting Drinking Water Sources, Jack Stickney, Kentucky Rural Water Association, Bowling Green, KY
• Source Water Protection for the Riverbank Filtration System, Kay Ball and Rob Newman, Louisville Water Company, Louisville, KY

Track 1: Karst, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Characteristics of Cover-Collapse Sinkholes in Kentucky, James C. Currens, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Data and Model Investigation of a Fluviokarst System in the Bluegrass Region: Water, Sediment, and Carbon Interactions, Admin Husic and others, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky
• Sourcing and Dynamics of Karst Hydrologic Inputs on Harmful Algal Bloom Occurrences in Kentucky Lakes, Robert Schaefer and Jason Polk, Dept. of Geography and Geology, Western Kentucky University
• Investigation of Fecal Contamination in the Little River Basin, Kentucky Using Microbial Source Tracking and Fecal Indicator Bacteria, 2013-2014, Mac A. Cherry, USGS, Kentucky Water Science Center

Track 1: Groundwater, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Proposed Bill to License Closed-Loop Geothermal System Vertical Borehole Well Drillers, Bart Davidson, Kentucky Geological Survey, David Jackson and Scotty Robertson, Kentucky Division of Water
• Using Oil and Gas Data to Assess the Distribution of Fresh and Saline Water in Northeastern Kentucky, Ethan Davis, Kentucky Geological Survey
• A Pilot Study to Assess Baseline Groundwater Chemistry for the Berea Sandstone and Rogersville Shale Play Area, Eastern Kentucky, Junfeng Zhu and others, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Investigation of Limestone Aquifer Characteristics in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky Area, Chuck Taylor and others, Kentucky Geological Survey

Plenary Session: Working With Flint Residents: Lead Discovery And Citizen Science In The Flint Water Crisis, Min Tang

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

No abstract provided.

Proceedings Of 2016 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This symposium was planned and conducted as a part of the state water resources research institute annual program that is supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number G11AP20081 from the United States Geological Survey. The contents of this proceedings document and the views and conclusions presented at the symposium are solely the responsibility of the individual authors and presenters and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USGS or of the symposium organizers and sponsors. This publication is produced with the understanding that the United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes.

Liberty's Last Post Office: A Story Of A Gold Mining Camp In Washington State, Wesley C. Engstrom

Works by Local Authors

There was once a large center of activity in the Swauk Basin of upper Kittitas County. The place is called Liberty. Liberty was once the most action packed place in Kittitas County. At least it was for a while after gold was discovered in Swauk Creek. Like many gold camps the place boomed and ebbed over the years. Unlike some other places it never quite went completely bust. It came close, and fortunately for some it didn’t. It still exists today as a living ghost town.

The Liberty story has been told before in various ways. This telling of the …

A Novel Methodology For Spatial Damage Detection And Imaging Using A Distributed Carbon Nanotube-Based Composite Sensor Combined With Electrical Impedance Tomography, Hongbo Dai, Gerard J. Gallo, Thomas Schumacher, Erik T. Thostenson

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes a novel non-destructive evaluation methodology for imaging of damage in composite materials using the electrical impedance tomography (EIT) technique applied to a distributed carbon nanotube-based sensor. The sensor consists of a nonwoven aramid fabric, which was first coated with nanotubes using a solution casting approach and then infused with epoxy resin through the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding technique. Finally, this composite sensor is cured to become a mechanically-robust, electromechanically-sensitive, and highly customizable distributed two-dimensional sensor which can be adhered to virtually any substrate. By assuming that damage on the sensor directly affects its conductivity, a difference …

Mobile Application For Biosensor Colorimetric Analysis, Eui Bin You

Honors Theses

Inexpensive paper-based biosensors can be valuable screening tools to test for various illnesses, but it is often challenging to design them to produce a visual change that can easily be identified by untrained users. This research examines one method of compensating for the lack of distinct visual cues by developing and testing a mobile application that uses a machine learning algorithm (k-Nearest Neighbors) to analyze a picture of a sensor and determine whether it shows a positive or negative result. The machine learning algorithm was trained on a set of labeled sensor images and k-fold cross-validation was used to analyze …

Early Acidification Of Mars And The Potential Implications For Biology, Sarah Stewart Johnson, D. Goerlitz, Kathleen C. Benison, Melanie R. Mormile, D. W. Ming

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

A leading paleoclimate theory for Mars, based on the identification of phyllosilicate minerals in ancient terrains, posits that the first several million years of the planet’s history were dominated by neutral to alkaline pH. However, evidence is mounting for the consideration of an alternate hypothesis: that some smectites on Mars formed under acidic conditions, and that the early surface of Mars may not have been subject to circum-neutral pH conditions, at least not uniformly. Work on shergottitic liquids suggests that up to 2400 ppm of sulfur could have degassed from martian magma, supplying more than enough sulfur for the planet’s …

Understanding Millennial, Generation X, And Baby Boomer Preferred Leadership Characteristics: Informing Today’S Leaders And Followers, Lee-Volker Cox

Dissertations

Purpose. This quantitative study’s purpose was to describe and determine the degree of difference and importance of leadership characteristics as perceived by Baby Boom, Generation X, and Millennial generational cohort followers in STEM-related U.S.-based or headquartered aerospace and computer organizations as measured by the Multigenerational Leadership Characteristics Questionnaire (MLCQ).

Methodology. This was a cross-sectional, nonexperimental, comparative and correlational quantitative, ex post facto study. A web-based MLCQ was developed after conducting an academic literature review. Participants used a 6-point Likert scale identifying the importance of 30 characteristics with 2 aggregation questions identifying the most and least important characteristics; 408 members of …

Student From Reu Project Wins Presentation At Emerging Researchers National Conference | Engineering Education, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

A student from last year’s REU project, Bethany Fronhofer, attended the 2016 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference. Where she spoke about the work that she did along with Sarah Schott in Dr. Idalis Villanueva’s lab. Bethany’s presentation won first place for the Science and Mathematics Education/Social and Behavioral Sciences Undergraduate Oral Presentation category.

A Review Of Advances In The Identification And Characterization Of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Using Geospatial Technologies, Isabel C. Pérez Hoyos, Nir Y. Krakauer, Reza Khanbilvardi, Roy A. Armstrong

Publications and Research

Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem (GDE) protection is increasingly being recognized as essential for the sustainable management and allocation of water resources. GDE services are crucial for human well-being and for a variety of flora and fauna. However, the conservation of GDEs is only possible if knowledge about their location and extent is available. Several studies have focused on the identification of GDEs at specific locations using ground-based measurements. However, recent progress in remote sensing technologies and their integration with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has provided alternative ways to map GDEs at a much larger spatial extent. This paper presents a review …

In-Situ Testing Of Uretek's Injectable BarrierSm As A Mechanism For Groundwater Control, Jeremy Hess

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Construction projects involving the installation or repair of subsurface structures or utilities often require dewatering to induce a temporary lowering of the local groundwater elevation to facilitate construction. In the event that a known contaminant plume is present in an adjacent area, this dewatering may inadvertently draw the contaminant into the previously uncontaminated work area. Uretek Holdings, Inc. has developed its Injectable Barrier^SM to be installed prior to dewatering exercises to provide a groundwater cut-off by reducing the potential movement of groundwater due to the hydraulic gradient induced by dewatering. A benefit of Injectable Barrier^SM as compared to …

Conversations About Diversity: Institutional Barriers For Underrepresented Engineering Students, Leroy Long Iii, Joel Alejandro Mejia

Publications

The United States is becoming increasingly more diverse. Specifically, demographics are shifting because of growth among historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, including African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. At the same time, a declining number of skilled workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields threatens U.S. global competitiveness and national security. Low participation, representation, engagement, and inclusion continue to reduce the intellectual capacity of the U.S. STEM workforce. The aforementioned societal changes require diversity in STEM education and the nation at large. Past research offers additional support for the importance of diversity. For example, racial diversity can …

Sizing An Anaerobic Digester In A Rural Developing World Community: Does Household Fuel Demand Match Greenhouse Gas Production?, Ronald Keelan Greenwade

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anaerobic digestion is the process by which organic carbon is converted into biogas in the form of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). Both of these products are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Therefore if anaerobic reactors are improperly maintained and biogas is leaked or intentionally released into the atmosphere because biogas production exceeds household demand, these reactors may become generators of greenhouse gas emissions instead of sustainable energy producers. The objective of this research was to develop a framework to assess if the demand for biogas by a rural adopter of an anaerobic …

Application Of Spatial And Descriptive Analysis Methods To Determine Relationship Between Hardware Subsidies And The Sanitation Marketplace, Danielle Devuyst

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sanitation marketing is an emerging approach of strengthening the local private sector to implement scalable and sustainable improved sanitation coverage in developing countries, specifically among the poor. It encourages the enhancement of sanitation market supply and demand by developing distribution infrastructure and stimulating consumer interest. Unlike interventions that provide hardware subsidies to initiate sanitation demand, financial support for sanitation marketing is used exclusively for the research and development of the market; this encourages the private sector to become independent and self-sufficient. Qualitative data suggests that while sanitation marketing projects have been successful at implementing replicable and sustainable sanitation coverage, they …

Adoption Of The Sawyer Water Filter In Peru, Stephanie D. Paredes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Peru, lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) results in 6,600 deaths per year that represents approximately 3.9% of total deaths. Three thousand and nine hundred of these deaths were due to diarrheal diseases (Prüss-Üstün et al., 2008). Systematic reviews suggest that interventions to improve microbial quality of drinking water are successful in reducing diarrheal diseases (Fewtrell et al., 2005; Clasen et al., 2007; Fry et al., 2013). Interventions for household water treatment and safe storage to ensure safe drinking water reduce diarrhea by 31-52% (WHO/UNICEF, 2013).

The SAWYER PointONE filter, a portable and adaptable membrane filtration device as …

Characterization Of Quad-Copter Positioning Systems And The Effect Of Pose Uncertainties On Field Probe Measurements, James C. Dossett

Theses and Dissertations

When measuring the Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a test object, many uncertainties must be accounted for, such as the non-homogeneous nature of the medium between the radar test equipment and the platform under test. There are a variety of other error sources, including clutter and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), motivating the development of techniques to measure and model the uncertainties in RCS measurements. The following research, in unison with prior and current efforts, intends to reduce the impact of these uncertainties by utilizing a unique two-way field probe in the form of a geodesic sphere encompassing a commercial quad-copter …

Electromagnetic Characterization Of Materials Using A Dual Chambered High Temperature Waveguide, Jeffrey S. Sovern

Theses and Dissertations

Measurement of the electromagnetic properties of materials at high temperatures is important for industrial, scientific, medical, and aerospace applications [1]. Current high-temperature electromagnetic material characterization is a time consuming process that typically requires three days to collect data from one material specimen. For example, the standard high-temperature process involving rectangular waveguides [2] requires measurements of the sample (1), the empty waveguide (2), and a metal short standard (3) completed in separate heated runs over three days to perform the Nicolson-Ross-Weir inversion algorithm for computing permittivity and permeability. The technique developed here will reduce the high-temperature measurement process from three days …

A "Big Bang" Versus A "Small Bang" Approach: A Case Study Of The Expeditionary Combat Support System (Ecss) And The Maintenance, Repair, And Overhaul Initiative (Mroi), George B. Lafiguera

Theses and Dissertations

In 2003, the United States Air Force embarked on one of the largest and most comprehensive logistical transformation to delineate the logistics community’s strategy for supporting the warfighter. A key aspect of this campaign plan was to leverage information technology through an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution called the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), a “big-bang” approach. In early 2012, the ECSS program was cancelled mainly due to uncontrollable increases in costs and schedule overruns. In late 2012, the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) launched the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul initiative (MROi), a “small-bang” approach, to increase enterprise visibility and …

A Logistic Regression And Markov Chain Model For The Prediction Of Nation-State Violent Conflicts And Transitions, Nicholas Shallcross

Theses and Dissertations

Using open source data, this research formulates and constructs a suite of statistical models that predict future transitions into and out of violent conflict and forecasts the regional and global incidences of violent conflict over a ten-year time horizon. A total of thirty predictor variables are tested and evaluated for inclusion in twelve conditional logistic regression models, which calculate the probability that a nation will transition from its current conflict state, either In Conflict or Not in Conflict, to a new state in the following year. These probabilities are then used to construct a series of nation-specific Markov chain models …

Space Object Self-Tracker On-Board Orbit Determination Analysis, Stacie M. Flamos

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the United States' growing dependence on space based assets and the in- creasing number of resident space objects (RSO), improvement of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities is more necessary than ever. As a way to aid in this need, the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is developing the Space Object Self-Tracker (SOS) as a proof-of-concept experimental satellite for RSO precision tracking and collision avoidance system in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Specifically, SOS will use Global Positioning System (GPS) position estimates for on-board orbit de- termination. Currently, SOS will use the Simplified General Perturbations-4 (SGP4) algorithm as its …

Military Applications Of High-Altitude Satellite Orbits In A Multi-Body Dynamical Environment Using Numerical Methods And Dynamical Systems Theory, Meredith M. Wilmer

Theses and Dissertations

The circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) is a simplified dynamical model for a satellite under the gravitational influence of both the Earth and the Moon, maintaining closer fidelity to the gravitational environment experienced by a high-altitude Earth-orbiting spacecraft than modeling in the Earth-satellite two-body problem. Resonant orbit arcs are used to determine an initial guess to input into an algorithm that computes a trajectory solution with specific design requirements and constraints. A test case uses this method to compute a lunar fly-by transfer solution requiring less than two-body transfer methods and offers an unusual pathway that adds an unpredictability element …